Kenya: Airlift to flood-affected refugee camps in Dadaab
Briefing Notes, 28 November 2006
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 28 November 2006, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Our airlift of emergency supplies for thousands of refugees in Dadaab refugee camp complex in north-eastern Kenya whose homes were swept away by floods over the past three weeks have stepped up pace with three flights from Nairobi since Friday and two more scheduled for today and Wednesday. The flights are delivering plastic tarpaulins and medical supplies.
Dadaab – a three-camp complex for 160,000 refugees – has been hit by heavy rains that have washed away parts of the Garissa-Dadaab road, the only road connecting the remote camp from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. Airlifts are now the only viable means of getting relief supplies to the camps where over 100,000 refugees have been badly affected by the flooding. No rain has been reported over the last three days and the flooding has markedly decreased. We are continuing to move the most affected people from Ifo camp to higher ground at Hagadera camp, some 20 km away. So far 4,500 refugees have been relocated.
UNHCR and other agencies working in Dadaab have started developing a new site in the higher part of Ifo camp in an effort to find a more permanent solution to the flooding problem. The site, called Ifo II, lies on higher ground and is unlikely to be affected by floods. Around 1,000 refugees have already moved to the new site. Temporary services such as health clinics, communal latrines, water points and food distribution centres will be constructed in the area. A mass information campaign is being started to urge refugees to move from the worst flood-prone areas to the new site
The distribution of food and non-food items is ongoing with priority given to the most affected. There are concerns about the rise in malaria cases. More mosquito nets are being sent to hospitals. Diarrhoea and malnutrition are also rising rapidly.
Tens of thousands of Somalis are fleeing conflict and drought into Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Dire Times in Dadaab
Angelina Jolie's visit to Dadaab in north-east Kenya puts a spotlight on the overcrowded camp complex, home to tens of thousands of refugees.
When UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie visited Dadaab in north-east Kenya on September 12, 2009, she saw first-hand some of the tough conditions that tens of thousands of refugees must live in. The overcrowded three-camp complex is home to more than 285,000 mainly Somali refugees, making it the largest refugee settlement in the world. The camps were established in the early 1990s and were intended for a maximum of 90,000 people. Up to 7,000 people are now arriving every month to escape continuing conflict in Somalia. Jolie talked to residents about their daily life and their exile. These images show her meetings with the refugees of Dadaab and show some of the conditions they live in. Aside from overcrowding, they face water shortages, crammed classrooms, health problems, the coming rainy season and a range of other difficulties. UNHCR hopes new land will be allocated soon for the new arrivals.
Dire Times in Dadaab
Kenya Floods Threaten Refugees
Flood waters in north-eastern Kenya in mid-November, caused havoc in the Dadaab refugee complex of three camps. Over 100,000 of the 160,000 refugees have been badly affected by the flooding, particularly in Ifo camp. Refugees' homes were swept away and latrines have overflowed and collapsed. The main supply route linking Dadaab to the rest of Kenya has been cut by the rains, blocking all aid deliveries by road.
To get refugees to safety on higher ground, UNHCR started transferring people to Hagadera camp, 20kms away – often using donkey carts. A series of airlifts has brought in fuel for generators, emergency health kits, tarpaulins, and shovels to fill sandbags to keep the flood waters at bay. Essentials items such as plastic tarpaulins, sleeping mats, and food have been distributed to refugees who lost everything.
These floods have been compared to the massive flooding which followed the record 1997 El Nino rains that swamped much of low-lying eastern Kenya.
Posted on 29 November 2006
Kenya Floods Threaten Refugees
Post-Tsunami Recovery in Puntland
Away from the glare of the international spotlight, Somalia in the Horn of Africa was also hit by last December's Asian tsunami which rolled across the Indian Ocean. UNHCR, as part of an integrated UN emergency response, distributed life-saving supplies, including plastic sheets, blankets, and kitchen sets, to some 45,000 Somalis living along a severely damaged 650km strip of coast in the northeast.
A year on, the area is getting back to its pre-tsunami state with UNHCR and its partners now making the leap from providing emergency aid to investing in development projects. In an effort to improve the lives of the inhabitants of one of the poorest places on Earth, UNHCR has begun rehabilitating schools, building markets and women's centres, as well as constructing roads to help economic development.
The UN's relief efforts are concentrated in a 650km stretch of coastline between Hafun and Garaad in northeast Somalia, an area also known as Puntland. In war-ravaged Somalia, Puntland is a relatively peaceful self-declared autonomous enclave.
Post-Tsunami Recovery in Puntland
Kenya: In Need of Protection
The legacy of Sudan's civil war haunts many refugees. In Kakuma camp some need special protection to ensure their safety.
Somalia: No Peace Here
Fighting continues to force people to leave areas of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. Abduallahi Ali is fleeing from one makeshift camp to another, saying he fears for his life.
Suad's Story
Suad, a student and teacher in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, tells how she's using technology to become self-sufficient and what this means for her family and community.
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